SHEFFIELD, U.K. – The Sheffield Steelers managed two points from a possible four at stake against Belfast at the Odyssey Arena over the weekend.
The two teams first locked horns on Friday night in front of 3583 spectators, most of whom probably wouldn’t have predicted the scoreline of 2-1 in favour of the Steelers. The South Yorkshire side were still without the injured quartet of Captain Jonathan Phillips, netminder Geoff Woolhouse, Tom Squires, and top goal scorer Jeff Legue. 
It was the home side that struck first from defenceman Jeff Mason in the eleventh minute. Jerramie Domish restored parity for the visitors at 17:48 with a fine top shelf effort on the powerplay, after a good cross-ice pass from Neil Clark.
Both teams had their chances in the second period, with the hosts out shooting the Steelers by 13-6. The two netminders Ervins Mustukovs and Stephen Murphy of Sheffield and Belfast respectively, put on a fine netminding showcase keeping the game on level terms right up until the fifty-first minute. Great Britain international Ashley Tait broke the deadlock at 51:09 after a great sprawling pass from fellow countryman Robert Dowd, ensuring a Sheffield victory and sending the great travelling support into raptures.
The two teams met once again 24 hours later, with the Giants hoping for a different outcome by looking to avenge the previous nights defeat. They did just that with a hard fought 4-2 win in front of 4763 spectators. Brett Hemingway opened the scoring at 8:40 with his seventeenth of the season on the powerplay. Special teams and Sheffield’s indiscipline were the decisive factors in the game, with three of the Giants’ four goals coming with the man advantage. Ex NHL’er Brad Smyth doubled his team’s lead at 18:44 with another powerplay effort, to well and truly take the wind out of the Sheffield Steelers sails.
Belfast were coasting ahead when Mike Hoffman tipped in a Colin Shields shot, once again on the powerplay at 38:46. Sheffield started the third period the livelier of the two teams, and Jerramie Domish soon pulled a goal back for the visitors with a delayed penalty goal 44:04.
Sheffield’s agitator Derek Campbell tried to swing the momentum of the game in his teams favour by dropping the gloves with the towering Mike Hoffman. Campbell may have regretted the decision as he lost the short bout, and didn’t get the response he was looking for as Belfast netted the next goal. Sheffield goaltender Ervins Mustukovs was pulled in favour of the extra attacker, and Dan Welch was on hand to slot the puck home in the empty net for the giants at 58:35. Billingham-born Robert Dowd netted a consolation effort with 31 seconds of the game remaining to make it 4-2 to the Giants.
Sheffield next take on the Hull Stingrays (4th December) and the Braehead Clan 24 hours later at the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena (5th December) before a tough Christmas run in with Cardiff, Coventry and Nottingham.
Contact the author at Scott.antcliffe@prohockeynews.com
